Blastoff! The Big, Bad Space Launch System Quiz

On Sept. 14, 2011, NASA announced plans for the Space Launch System (SLS), the driving force behind the American space program for the foreseeable future. In terms of technology, it’s made of something old, something new, quite a bit that’s borrowed -- and that’s making some critics blue. How much do you know about the future of American spaceflight?

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Question 1 of 20

When did the space shuttle fly its final mission?

May 2011

July 2011

July 8, 2011, marked the final flight of Atlantis and of the space shuttle program. Feb. 24, 2011, marked the last launch of Discovery, and Endeavor flew into history on May 16, 2011.

February 2011

Question 2 of 20

What was the name of the original successor program to the space shuttle?

Constitution program

Galaxy program

Constellation program

The Obama administration announced in February 2010 that the Constellation program was cancelled. As sci-fi fans are aware, the original USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) on TV’s "Star Trek" was a constitution-class vessel, and the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" was a galaxy-class ship.

Question 3 of 20

What was the primary mission of that program?

to rendezvous with a comet

to return to the moon

Although Constellation's scope included missions to the International Space Station and, eventually, to Mars and beyond, it was fundamentally concerned with establishing an extended human presence on the moon.

to destroy near-Earth objects

Question 4 of 20

The SLS will be the most powerful launch vehicle ever built. What veteran of the space program currently holds that title?

Saturn V

The Saturn V, the workhorse that took America to the moon, still holds the title. The Soviet N-1 arguably had more liftoff thrust, but was canceled after four catastrophic failures during testing. The Jupiter-C was a research rocket developed under the direction of Wernher von Braun.

Jupiter-C

Soviet N-1

Question 5 of 20

NASA hopes the first SLS flight will occur in what year?

2016

2017

The SLS is targeted for an unmanned test flight in 2017.

2021

Question 6 of 20

How much will the initial SLS weigh?

5.5 million pounds (2.5 million kilograms)

The first SLS will weigh in at 5.5 million pounds -- as much as 24 fully loaded 747s -- and kick out 8.4 million pounds of thrust at liftoff.

6.7 million pounds (3.0 million kilograms)

8.4 million pounds (3.8 million kilograms)

Question 7 of 20

Which leftover parts from the space shuttle program will the initial SLS craft use?

three RS-25 space shuttle main engines (SSMEs) and two solid rocket boosters (SRBs)

Three RS-25 space shuttle main engines (SSMEs) and two solid rocket boosters (SRBs), both inherited from the space shuttle program, will provide the 8.4 million pounds (3.8 million kilograms) of liftoff thrust necessary to propel the first SLS into space.

When NASA rolls out its later, more powerful version of the SLS, its upper stage will carry the J-2X, an updated version of the engine that propelled Apollo’s Saturn V rockets into history.

Jimmie J.J. Walker’s signature cologne

Question 9 of 20

Which of the following choices best represents the volume of the SLS’s cargo faring?

the Statue of Liberty

RMS Queen Mary 2

nine school buses

The later version of the SLS will sport a cargo faring spacious enough to carry nine school buses, and will stand taller than the Statue of Liberty (including the pedestal).

Question 10 of 20

The five-stage version of the solid rocket booster was originally developed for which program?

the Constellation program

Although later versions of the SLS might use the five-stage version of the solid rocket booster, it was originally designed for the scrapped Constellation program.

the space shuttle program

the Space Launch System program

Question 11 of 20

What's the name of the vehicle in which astronauts will ride to space atop the SLS?

the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle

The SLS inherited the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) from the Constellation program, which included plans for two heavy-lifting rockets called Ares I and II. Orion is also the name of one of the most recognizable and easy-to-spot constellations in the night sky.

the Ares Micropropulsion Cruising Vehicle

the Constellation Multiperson Command Vehicle

Question 12 of 20

How much habitable space will the astronaut crew occupy in the MPCV?

113 cubic feet (3.2 cubic meters)

210 cubic feet (5.9 cubic meters)

316 cubic feet (8.9 cubic meters)

The Orion crew module will squeeze 2 to 6 astronauts, with food and equipment, into 316 cubic feet of habitable space. That’s one-third more elbow room than Apollo’s crew compartment, in which three astronauts traveled back from the moon in 210 cubic feet of space.

Question 13 of 20

Which part(s) of the MPCV will return to Earth?

the crew and service modules

only the crew module

Like its predecessor in the Apollo program, the service module will burn up upon re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere, with only the crew module returning.

all of it

Question 14 of 20

What's the purpose of the spacecraft adaptor?

fitting the crew module to the SLS

docking with other spacecraft

The adaptor will enable the crew compartment to dock with other spacecraft, including the International Space Station.

both of the above

Question 15 of 20

How much is NASA expected to spend on SLS over the next six years?

$18 billion

According to William H. Gerstenmaier, NASA’s associate administrator for human exploration, the agency will set aside $3 billion per year to the effort over the next six years for a total of $18 billion.

$1.8 billion

$180 million

Question 16 of 20

During launch, a small rocket sits atop the SLS’s crew vehicle. Why is it there?

to carry the crew capsule to safety during a launch emergency

to protect the crew module from hazardous atmospheric loads and heating

both of the above

The small launch-abort system rocket (LAS) is another feature borrowed from the Apollo program designs, and performs both abort and shielding functions.

Question 17 of 20

What derisive nickname did critics attach to the SLS?

the Shuttle’s Lame Successor

the Senate Launch System

Critics were inspired to call the SLS the Senate Launch System after U.S. senators mandated several aspects of the spacecraft’s design -- right down to which contracts and vendors to retain.

the Sad Little Spaceship

Question 18 of 20

How much does it currently cost to send American astronauts to the International Space Station aboard Russian spacecraft?

tens of millions of dollars

billions of rubles

both of the above

The Russians currently charge just under $56 million (1.8 billion rubles) per astronaut to fly to and from the International Space Station on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. In 2014, that price will increase to nearly $63 million (2 billion rubles).

Question 19 of 20

How many SLS missions have been planned and funded?

four

one

zero

Although trips to the International Space Station, the asteroid belt, the moon and even Mars have been touted, thus far no actual missions have been planned or funded for the SLS.

Question 20 of 20

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher of California argued for which alternative to the SLS?

parking a fuel depot in orbit to support commercial rockets

Rohrabacher argues that a fuel depot would enable the Orion MPCV to fly into space sooner and more often than if the vehicle has to wait for the SLS. Advocates of the depot idea say that having fuel available in space would allow for smaller rockets, which could leave Earth’s gravity and then refuel in orbit before launching farther into space.

constructing a space elevator to reduce launch costs

converting the International Space Station into a theme park to raise funding